MapsofIndia.com/MyIndia.in Rating: 2/5
Director: Karan Boolani
Plot
The movie begins with Kanika Kapoor, played by Bhumi Pednekar, narrating her unusual princess story. Unlike traditional fairy tales, Kanika’s story is not about finding a prince and living happily ever after. Instead, it is a story of a princess who meets different types of princes, but none of them suit her. Kanika’s first prince is her school days crush, who became a boyfriend. However, the school relationship doesn’t last long. Next up in Kanika’s life is a professor, played by Anil Kapoor, who is much older than her. Of course, this does not last, either. Finally, she meets her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Rahul (Sushant Divgikar). He has only one problem: he doesn’t want to have sex with her. This is a significant issue for Kanika, and their relationship is doomed.
Kanika is 32 years old, and her fairy tale is not progressing. Furthermore, she has never had an orgasm, which is the film’s main plot. Until Rushi Kalra, played by Shehnaaz Kaur Gill, gives her the best advice: Have sex with someone who loves you, not with someone you love. After hearing this, she walked straight to Jeevan Anand (Pradhuman Singh), who wished to marry her. She ultimately experiences orgasm on the day of her engagement after a sequence of events. The problem is that she has no idea who gave her the most excellent sensation of her life because she has no recollection of what happened that night. Kanika just wants to find out who it was: Jeevan, The Professor, Rahul, or someone else.
Performances
The performances in the movie are underwhelming. Bhumi Pednekar’s portrayal of Kanika is unconvincing and feels like a rehash of her previous roles. Her over-the-top acting may have been due to the poorly written-character. Anil Kapoor is good in the movie, but that is because he plays an older man who looks younger than everyone else.
Dolly Singh’s performance is average at best. Shibani Bedi is the only saving grace, with her nuanced performance being one of the film’s few highlights. Sushant Divgikar tries the best to play their role convincingly, but the character is let down by poor and stereotypical writing.
Analysis
Thank You For Coming is a movie filled with missed opportunities left and right. It tries using the importance of female orgasm and challenging patriarchy with that plot, but fails disastrously. The movie is illogical at times, and attempts to provide morals such as the importance of sex education, challenge homophobia, and break stereotypes. Still, the story before that does not deliver at all. The movie’s music and songs are great, and the film’s best part is Shibani’s hilarious single mom character.
Verdict
Thank You For Coming tries to achieve something in the end that it does not follow from the beginning at all. At times, scenes look unnecessary, especially the entire monologue in the school at the end. Characters are stereotypical, the biggest one being Rahul, who later comes out as gay and completely changes his personality, including the way he talks. However, the film is not without its charms. Anil Kapoor and Shibani Bedi give hilarious performances, and the film has some genuinely funny moments. Overall, Thank You For Coming is a mixed bag. It’s worth watching for the laughs, but don’t expect too much.
